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thebookpaiges's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Bullying, Homophobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Terminal illness, Death, and Grief
Minor: Transphobia, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content
yoursupremereads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The follow up to Darius The Great Is Not Okay is a great sequel. Khorram has continued to flesh out Darius's trademark nerd/weeb tea loving charm through this new installment. But has given him a new boyfriend and a potential future love interest in the form of an old childhood bully. This story explores not only residual trauma from bullies, but from the passersby who stood around and let the bullying happen. This story also did a good job of investigating personal growth and understanding one's boundaries when entering a new relationship. And how sometimes your first "love" might not even be that, and that's okay. Khorram also fills Darius's world with characters that are multi-faceted just like him, making his new crush for a previous bully all the more interesting. Also, fully appreciate Khorram giving Darius queer grandmothers, while adding to that one of them being a transwoman. Chef's kiss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, and Islamophobia
Minor: Toxic friendship and Death
ok7a's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Death, and Islamophobia
Minor: Racial slurs and Sexual content
tinytrashqueen's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Homophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Fatphobia, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
hazelsnoot's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Bullying, Body shaming, Grief, Homophobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Racism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Transphobia, and Toxic relationship
thewordsdevourer's review
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
i actually liked this better than the first book! darius the great deserves better is a book i wish i had read when i was younger: it was comforting in its assurance of continually discovering oneself; relatable in its depiction of grief; and affirming in its portrait of living w/ depression but still being ok.
darius's growth and his changing relationships w/ those around him were sth i enjoyed seeing, particularly his family dynamics and his new, supportive friendships. the characters--even the bully loser--were surprisingly multidimensional. this book was also refreshingly--almost effortlessly--diverse, and i rly like how the author tackled racism, microaggressions, homophobia, sexuality, consent, and mental illness w/ tact, somehow managing to interweave them all into the plot w/o ever sounding preachy.
similar to the first book, however, i was often annoyed by the writing, specifically the unncessary single sentences + line breaks and repetition that sounded more dramatic than they needed to be. i also wish the ending was less rushed, and that more time were spent on certain ideas and scenes, exploring them a lil further to fully grasp them. nevertheless, i still enjoyed this book, and it's def one of my top mental illness-related books for sure.
darius's growth and his changing relationships w/ those around him were sth i enjoyed seeing, particularly his family dynamics and his new, supportive friendships. the characters--even the bully loser--were surprisingly multidimensional. this book was also refreshingly--almost effortlessly--diverse, and i rly like how the author tackled racism, microaggressions, homophobia, sexuality, consent, and mental illness w/ tact, somehow managing to interweave them all into the plot w/o ever sounding preachy.
similar to the first book, however, i was often annoyed by the writing, specifically the unncessary single sentences + line breaks and repetition that sounded more dramatic than they needed to be. i also wish the ending was less rushed, and that more time were spent on certain ideas and scenes, exploring them a lil further to fully grasp them. nevertheless, i still enjoyed this book, and it's def one of my top mental illness-related books for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Bullying, and Mental illness
Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death
decklededgess's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
trigger warnings: depression, suicide mention, homophobia, racism, bullying, transphobia mention, body dysmorphia, fat shaming, sexual content mention, refugee mention, death of family member, cancer mention, grief
I didnt expect the second book to hit has hard as the first one did but here I am driving to work crying over the last few chapters.
Such an incredible duology and a strong follow up to a stunning first book.
I didnt expect the second book to hit has hard as the first one did but here I am driving to work crying over the last few chapters.
Such an incredible duology and a strong follow up to a stunning first book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Bullying, and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Transphobia and Sexual content
taelights's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First of all I need a third book so badly. If we do not get book three I will be deeply disappointed. Also I need Darius x Sohrab to be endgame because they are the couple I want and need.
This series is so beautiful. The themes of family and friends are so wonderful and make me so emotional. I loved seeing Darius' relationship with his father strengthen as a result of the events of last book. I loved seeing all the themes explored in this sequel - family, Darius being gay and exploring his feelings for boys, body image, boundaries in romance and with sex, and mental health.
I honestly hated both of the possible love interests in this story and think neither of them should be with Darius. Landon was a selfish asshole who kept trying to guilt trip and pressure darius into sex every other chapter. Darius would keep saying no and that he wanted to take things slow and that he wasn't ready to lose his virginity yet. So it was just really annoying that he kept bringing up sex and trying to pressure Darius in pretty much every interaction they had. Including once in his grandmothers' car right after a memorial service for Darius' grandfather which was really icky to me.
Then Chip is also a horrible option. Bully to lovers is literally the worst trope ever to me. So, ex-bully and current friend with a crush on Darius was just not it. Especially seeing as Chip is still best friends throughout the book with Darius' other bully who is still actively bullying him and calling him homophobic and racist things. Even if Chip is no longer the one bullying Darius and being prejudice against him it doesn't change the fact that 1) he did it in the past and 2) that he is still best friends with a racist homophobic bully. He never defends Darius despite seeing the way his friend treats this boy he claims to like and he's always making excuses for the bully as well. So in my opinion he didn't actually change and is still just as bad. And no, him finally defending Darius in literally the last chapter doesn't make up for it especially because it was only after Darius had an argument with him about it.
Anyways please give me book 3 and also make Darius and Sohrab get together in it thanks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Grief, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
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